As I sit in the office surrounded by half eaten boxes of chocolates, bemoaning Christmas overindulgence, and like many others resolving to eat healthier in 2017. I can’t help but reflect on today’s headline: Like-for-like retail Christmas sales increased by 1% on the previous year, with festive food being the major contributory factor.
Inequality lives divides our country. It would be frivolous not to state the obvious, whilst we suffer from an obesity epidemic here in the UK, in other parts of the world people are living in poverty. In fact, we don’t have to look as far afield as third world countries. Poverty is happening right under our noses, the rising use of food banks is evidence of this
Between April and September 2016, Trussell Trust food banks across the UK distributed 519,342 three-day emergency food supplies to people. 8,584 of these went to children. Having spent time volunteering in a Trussell food bank last year, I have seen first hand the tough choices families’ face on a daily basis, often going days without eating properly.
I have therefore resolved to think a little differently this year. Instead of focusing on shifting the extra Christmas pounds, I will instead be thankful for to have enough food to eat each day. My resolution for 2017 is to waste less and give more, perhaps this could be a motto for the sector too.
